South African mining magnate Bridgette Radebe on Monday pleaded with the Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane to push ahead with the implementation of the controversial Mining Charter, saying that government must not be lenient in implementing transformation in the sector.
Radebe, a vocal champion for the rights of junior miners, is the older sister of the South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe and wife of Minister in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe.
She was speaking during a question and answer session with Zwane and minister of trade and industry, Rob Davies, at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town.
"You're talking about the charter that currently has deadlines since 2014 that have not been met. Today we have not seen companies that have been taken to task due to their non-compliance. What have they done within our democracy that we are going to tell our people in 2019 in terms of advancement and sustainability of the historically disadvantaged South Africans? If our politicians are so nice to those people that are not compliant and are not making sure that the charter is adhered to," Radebe said.
"As long as we don't have a go-to share stock exchange, a stock exchange that's going to have aspiration funding for all gas and mining exploration, we will never have money and finance. As long as we do not have that, we will keep on coming here as Africans, emerging economists, and underdeveloped people, we will keep on coming and talking about getting access to this industry but nothing will be done."
The South African mining industry, represented by the Chamber of Mines, has taken the charter to court for review saying that it is "unworkable" and that Zwane unilaterally developed it without consultation. The matter is to be heard at the North Gauteng High Court later this month on February 19-21.
Radebe said that the South African government would have the money to fund many of its social programmes, including free tertiary education if it had the guts to penalise non-adherent companies.
"The global financial integrity spike about R174 billion in illicit financial property out of South Africa. For as long as we sit here as Africans and we are not trying to do something meaningful in terms of allowing in the country those that are coming in our country to do as they like and us taking responsibility for that," Radebe said.
"Good luck with the court case, it's not going to be easy. We hope that this court case will stop. My advice is, why don't we go back to the getaway Codesa for two or three days and come up with the solutions instead of the court case. South Africa has to function. Africa cannot need a South Africa that is remaining behind because of court cases in mining."
- African News Agency (ANA)
